Shankar’s anniversary observed in Udumalpet

On March 13, 2016, Shankar was hacked to death when the couple was in Udumalpet for shopping. The incident happened when they were returning home as a gang of hirelings of the girl’s family armed with sickles attacked them near the Udumalpet bus stand. The girl’s Caste Hindu family was against her marriage with the Dalit youth. While Shankar died on the way to the hospital the same day, Gowsalya survived with a deadly cut on her forehead. Thought she had managed to start her life afresh the incident still haunts her. “I will fight till the Caste tag is abolished,” she said. 

The 19-year-old also took part in a few events organised in the village and at Udumalpet to pay homage to Shankar. People from various organisations took an oath to fight against honour killings and to eliminate caste based discrimination. 

She and Shankar’s father Veluchamy and her teenage brothers-in-law Vigneshwaran and Yuvaraj hoped that the killers and those behind the plot (including Gowsalya’s parents) were convicted and got maximum punishment as the case under trial before an Udumalpet Court is nearing the end.